


Subtle as a Brick

by anyrei, mugglerock, tfw_cas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Case Fic, Crack Treated Seriously, Dean Versus Inias, Happy Birthday Eyes_of_A_Tragedy, Hunter Versus Angel, M/M, May the Best Man or Multidimensional Wavelength of Celestial Intent Win, Our Beautiful T-Rex, Post-Canon, Supernatural (TV) Spoilers, We Love You and We Hope You Like Your Present
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:41:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22356571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyrei/pseuds/anyrei, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mugglerock/pseuds/mugglerock, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfw_cas/pseuds/tfw_cas
Summary: The fastest way to an angel’s heart is… well… you're about to find out.If you read this anywhere that is not ao3 this content was stolen without the author's consent! Pls don't support thieves! Read this on ao3!
Relationships: It's a Fucking Surprise
Comments: 45
Kudos: 59





	Subtle as a Brick

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eyes_of_a_Tragedy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eyes_of_a_Tragedy/gifts).



> **Frankie here:** Welp, here it is, the birthday fic that T-Rex is gonna pretend she’s surprised by cuz I’m an idiot texting about the fic in our group chat. Anyway! My dearest, darling Texas trex, I really hope you like this little thing we whipped up for you. It’s 100% entirely written for you, cuz we love you, and you deserve it! Happy birthday, my beautiful squirrel nut. ❤️❤️ (Also let's see if you can tell who wrote who. ;))
> 
>  **Any:** HAPPY BIRTHDAY T-REX! HAHAHA OMG, I can't let Frankie out of my sight for 2 minutes, right? LOL. Anyway I hope you have an amazing day and that this new year will bring you a lot of happiness! Thank you for all the work and cheering on you're doing for us!! 
> 
> **Rayray here:** Surprise!! 😁 Wishing you the happiest of birthdays Trex, and a great year too. I love that we know you well enough that we could create a story tailor-made for you. I hope you love this as much as we loved writing it… and as much as we love you too. 😘
> 
>  **Frankie here:** if she loves the story that much, her heart may explode. 
> 
> **Any:** And that would be a case for TFW.

**Subtle as a Brick**

Dean pulled into the hospital parking lot with a screech of tires, purposefully trying to jostle the passenger in the backseat. Cas’s friend Inias had turned up at the bunker a couple of weeks ago, with some story about leaving Heaven for good, because he didn’t like the way Naomi was running things. Of course Cas had asked if Inias could stay with them on a trial basis, and of course Sam and Dean had said yes. “Any friend of Cas…” etc.

Dean was sure Inias was probably a nice guy, and not one of those ‘dicks with wings’, but he hated the way Inias followed Cas around all the time, with that sweet smile of his. And why did he and Cas always seem to be reminiscing about their days together in the garrison? Dean wasn’t jealous… _ pfffft…  _ but he hardly got any quality time with Cas anymore.

So when Inias had told them about this possible case he’d found, involving disappearances at a hospital, Dean had thanked him graciously and said they would check it out, never expecting that when he went to the garage, Inias would be waiting with Cas. 

_ Sonovabitch _ .

Even worse… since Sammy was so wrapped up in ‘research’ with Eileen these days, Dean had assumed that Cas would automatically pick shotgun. To say that he was dismayed to see Cas start to climb in the backseat with Inias was the understatement of the century. He did, however, manage to entice Cas into the front with the promise of letting Cas pick the music.

That wasn’t like him. Maybe he was sick, and it was just as well they were going to a hospital. 

Anyway, despite Cas riding shotgun, he spent most of the journey talking to Inias, and frankly, Dean was fed up. Hence the rougher than necessary parking.

Cas shot him a very worried glance from the side, furrowed brow and everything. "Are you alright, Dean?"

“Me?” Dean asked, gesturing to himself. “I’m just peachy. Are you alright?”

Cas frowned even deeper. "You only say 'peachy' when you  _ aren't  _ okay."

_ Shit,  _ Cas was right, he did do that. Time to deflect. “Okay, you got me. I’m… worried about the case.”

Cas stared at him for a moment, probably deciding if he should swallow that weak excuse. Dean was in luck because Cas finally nodded and patted his arm. “I’m sure we will find those kids.”

“I hope so,” Dean said, playing along now, as he opened the car door and climbed out. “I wanna reunite those families.” 

He walked around to the trunk, opened it, and took out a fake FBI badge, his EMF meter, and an angel blade.

Cas was standing right beside Inias when they got out of the car, giving a soft smile and a silent nod.  _ Pfff, _ they weren’t the only ones who had the silent communication thing down.

Inias flipped out his fake badge, fumbling enough that he dropped it. Cas caught it before it hit the ground.

_ Wait… _ did Cas make Inias an FBI badge? Dean wasn’t even sure he wanted to know what name he’d chosen for him. 

Cas pressed the badge into Inias’s hands and gave him a smile. “I had a learning curve with these, too. It’s also very difficult to open them so they aren’t upside down. I have no idea how Dean manages to do it all the time.”

Inias nodded and flashed Cas a smile. “I recall the struggles you had the first time you attempted to put on a tunic. You bruised your vessel so badly,” he said with a soft laugh.

Cas looked embarrassed at that, rubbing the back of his neck. “I also remember you weren’t a great help in that moment. Just like the goat incident. I suspect you just like to see me struggle.”

Dean watched this interaction between the two of them, and couldn’t help the feeling of jealousy that consumed him.

“I must admit, it was rather humorous,” Inias added with a sly smile.

_ Well, isn’t this just cosy as hell, _ Dean thought sourly. More reminiscing… and why was Inias watching Cas put on a tunic anyway? 

“Okay,” he said, trying not to sound pissed, “let’s get to work. You know what you’ve gotta do?”

Cas nodded. “It’s probably best if we split up and look for anything unusual, maybe Inias or I can detect something. I’ll start on the top floor and work my way down. And after that we should ask…” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Dr. Alex Corvin. He was a witness in one of the cases. You should take Inias with you, Dean.”

_ Oh, yeah, _ that was all Dean needed. An angel who didn’t know what he was doing, and would probably screw things up. But, on the plus side… at least he wouldn’t be able to make eyes at Cas if he was with Dean. “Sure, c’mon, Inias. And let me do the talking.”

Inias nodded as he moved to follow Dean, not without a parting glance in Cas’s direction. A longing glance.

_ Jeeze, get a room, _ Dean thought.  _ No… wait,  _ he didn’t want them to do that. 

What Cas and Inias might get up to if they ‘got a room’ suddenly became all Dean could think about. It would give them the ideal opportunity for intimacy - not that they couldn’t do that in Cas’s room - and…  _ nope. _ He strode into the hospital and over to the reception desk, Inias following behind. With his badge at the ready, he flashed the middle-aged woman behind the desk one of his killer smiles.

“Agent Bellamy,” he said, showing her the badge, “we’re here about the missing children.”

The receptionist peered at them over her glasses, clearly unmoved by Dean’s smile. “I’ll call my supervisor,” she said, pressing a button on her phone and tapping her fingers on the desk.

Inias tapped Dean’s shoulder and showed him his FBI badge. “I neglected to ask Castiel how to pronounce this name,” he whispered. The badge read:  _ Agent Rihanna. _

Dean briefly considered telling Inias that it was pronounced Bee-yonce-ay, or something like that, but as funny as that would be, it wouldn’t get them very far with this case. “Ree-ah-na,” he said, also resisting the temptation to roll his eyes. 

That was met with an understanding nod as he tucked the ID badge away. “Thank you, Dean.”

“No biggie,” Dean said, waving away Inias’s thanks. He didn’t want to get too friendly with the guy.

The receptionist had been talking with someone on the phone, and as she replaced the receiver, she said, “Take the elevator to the fifth floor. My supervisor, Dr. Sheppard, is expecting you.”

Inias grinned dopily at her before he turned to Dean expectantly.

“This way?” Dean asked the receptionist, pointing in the direction he assumed the elevators were.

She answered in the affirmative, and Dean walked towards the elevators, with Inias falling into step beside him. A silence settled between them, and Dean almost started a conversation. The thing was, despite not wanting to, Dean found him annoyingly likeable, and his willingness to help was kind of endearing. 

“Dean?” Inias asked, voice a little hesitant.

Dean looked at Inias properly then, and he seemed worried about something. Maybe it was the case – missing children could be distressing. 

“Yeah?” he asked.

“The two humans that appeared to be consuming each other’s face in the lobby, is there a reason you did not intercede?”

_ Oh my god, _ Inias was just as clueless about human behavior as Cas used to be. Internally facepalming, Dean schooled his features before answering, “They weren’t ‘consuming’ each other; they were kissing.”

Inias murmured a soft, “Ah,” before he appeared contemplative. After a beat he turned to Dean. “How does one initiate ‘kissing’?”

Well, this conversation had taken a turn Dean wasn’t expecting. But he couldn’t just ignore Inias’s question, could he? 

“For starters, you don’t just kiss someone without their consent,” he explained. “When you’re attracted to someone you give them signals, and hope they feel the same. If they do, they’ll give you signals in return.”

Inias nodded in understanding. “And what are these ‘signals’?”

Dean thought for a moment. “Hmmm… making eye contact, and maintaining it. Yeah… looking into their eyes. Looking at their lips, and watching their reaction. Maybe drawing attention to your own lips by licking them, or touching them with your finger.”

“And, uh, if those signals are reciprocated, I may kiss that person?”

“Yeah, in that case, I say go for it. You got someone in mind?” 

Inias nodded. “I do.”

“The receptionist?” Dean asked, teasingly. “She seems nice.” She didn’t really seem that nice, but maybe Inias could soften her up, and bring a smile to her face. 

Inias chuckled and shook his head. “No.”

Dean racked his brain, trying to think of someone else Inias might have met, but the truth was he’d barely left Cas’s side. It couldn’t be Eileen, could it? Nah, he must know she only had eyes for Sam. Hmmm… maybe he was an equal opportunity lover. Was it Sam? Was it him? Dean knew he was deliberately avoiding the blindingly obvious, because if he didn’t think about it, maybe it wouldn’t be true. He had a horrible feeling that Inias was talking about Cas, and for some reason Dean couldn’t name, that thought didn’t sit well with him at all.

“So… have they got a name?” he asked, hoping he was wrong, but mentally bracing himself for an answer he didn’t want to hear. 

Inias was about to answer when the elevator doors opened up and they were met with a group of nurses wanting to get on. Inias stepped out first and looked over at Dean. “Did she say which way we should go?”

“Nope. She just said he’d meet us on the fifth floor.” He glanced up and down the corridor, looking for someone who looked supervisor-y. There was a man walking towards them, who kind of reminded him of Crowley. He must be the guy.

“Agents,” the man greeted with a gruff British accent as he held his hand out. “I’m Dr. Sheppard. I run our children’s ward.”

Damn, he sounded like Crowley too. “Were you here when any of the disappearances occurred?” Dean asked as he shook his hand. Might as well get straight to the point.

The man shook his head. “All of the disappearances occurred on second and third shift, and none of us admin are here past four or five.” He nodded for them to follow as he moved down the hall. “Did the police not brief you on the details?”

“Yeah, of course. But y’know… overtime. Thought it was worth checking.” Man, that was smooth, Dean congratulated himself as they walked through a doorway into a large office.

The office was a makeshift dispatch center, a burly man sat in front of several screens, reminding him of Frank. Dr. Sheppard said, “This is our security operations center, Kareem can provide you copies of statements and our security footage.”

“That’s a good place to start, thanks,” Dean said to Dr. Sheppard. Then, turning to Kareem, he asked, “Can you show us the security footage first?”

Kareem nodded as he started going through his files. “Take a seat, gotta pull them up.”

Dean grabbed a seat that was by the window, and sat himself in a good position to see the screen. Inias followed suit, placing himself right next to Dean’s and smiling at him. Inias wasn’t interested in him was he?

Inias drummed on his knee cap as he proceeded to look around the office.

Dean followed his gaze and noticed that Dr. Sheppard was staring at him, and oh… he was giving Inias so many signals. In fact, the guy was practically drooling. Dean nudged him, and whispered, “Those are the signals you gotta look for.”

Inias’s eyebrows shot up as he gave Dean a frantic look. “Does that mean I have to kiss him?”

“Not if you don’t wanna,” Dean chuckled. “But if you do… he’s definitely up for it. He can’t stop staring at you, and he definitely licked his lips at least once.”

Inias visibly cringed and shook his head. “No thank you.”

Dean felt a little sorry for Dr. Sheppard, and he decided to try on his behalf one last time. “You sure? He looks like he’d be good at tonsil hockey.”

Inias quirked his brow. “Are you certain  _ you’re  _ not interested in kissing that man?”

That was an interesting question, and Dean immediately thought back to his lost summer as a demon, doing unspeakable things with Crowley. It had been fun, but… no. Absolutely not. “Nah, I’m not interested, and it’s not me he’s got his eye on, anyway.” He sighed, and slapped his thighs with his hands and stood up.

“Tell ya’ what, Kareem, we’ve got other things to check out, so we’ll come back later to look at the footage, okay?”

Kareem nodded and handed them a couple of badges. “Temporary ID badges for you and your partner. The ward is down the hall just past the NICU.”

“Thanks, man.” Dean patted Kareem briefly on the shoulder, then took the badges and handed one to Inias, who was eyeing Dr. Sheppard warily.

Dr. Sheppard smiled at them. “I’ll come get you when the videos are ready.”

“That’s great, we appreciate it,” Dean stated, before making a hasty exit back out into the hallway. Turning to Inias, he said, “I wonder how Cas is doing.”

At that Inias had an almost dreamy smile on his face. “I’m sure he’s doing well. He’s always been good at interrogation.”

The only interrogation Dean remembered from Cas was when he tried to question a cat, but he didn’t bother telling Inias that. He’d probably think that was perfectly normal. Also, why was Inias always bringing up things from his and Cas’s past? Was he trying to remind him of all the good times they’d shared, or make himself ever-present in Cas’s thoughts? Maybe Dean should start doing that too. He and Cas had also had some good times together. 

“Yeah, we’ve worked a lot of cases together… me and Cas. Many, many cases...” Dean trailed off, as a montage of their greatest hits played out in his mind.

“Is there… Do you have any more tips?” Inias asked as he looked over his hospital visitor ID badge.

As his suspicions grew ever stronger about the nature of Cas and Inias’s friendship, Dean felt more and more conflicted about giving Inias this kind of advice. He didn’t want to encourage the guy if it was Cas he had feelings for, but on the other hand, he couldn’t exactly tell Inias no, could he?  _ Dammit _ . “Touches are good. I don’t mean in a sexual way, but touching them on the arm or the shoulder when you don’t really have to. It shows you’re interested.”

Yeah, Dean was a great fan of those gentle little touches. 

Inias hummed and looked up at Dean. “This appears to involve a lot of nonverbal communication, should I ever verbally express my intentions?”

What an interesting question. When Dean wanted to blow off steam and have fun with a bartender or waitress, he had no problem expressing his intentions. But when it came to Ca… other people, it suddenly became more complicated. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, and avoided Inias’s stare. 

“Um, well… yeah. You should, but you have to be subtle. Not just blurt it out.”

“How does one subtley express their intention?”

Dean turned to Inias, and said, “Hey, did you do something with your hair? It looks good. You should wear it like that more often.”

Inias furrowed his brow as he reached out to his own hair. “This is just my vessel’s natural hairstyle.”

“What?” Dean was confused by Inias’s reaction, until it dawned on him… Making a huge effort not to laugh, he said, “I didn’t mean you… your hair. I was showing you, you dork.” He shook his head, and tried to hide his smile.

“Showing me what?” Inias shook his head, confusion evident on his face. “And why are you referring to me as a colloquial term for a blue whale’s penis?”

“Showing you how to express your intention. It was an example. Also...what? A whale’s penis?”

Inias nodded. “A dork, a colloquial, or ‘slang’ term for a whale’s sex organ.”

In that moment, a nurse walked by and visibly halted at the conversation they were having. She looked them over, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.

“Thanks for that explanation, doctor.” Dean grinned at the nurse and said, “Amazing what you can learn in a hospital, ain’t it?”

She nodded, eyebrows still narrowed in suspicion before she left without a word.

Inias was staring at Dean in confusion. “Humans are strange.”

Dean found that observation hilarious. If anyone was strange, it was the angel who didn’t understand nuance or hints, or any verbal clues at all really. Every little thing needed explaining to him, just like Cas when they first met. “Takes one to know one.”

There was a beat of silence as Inias stared at him. “You know I’m not a human, correct?”

“Oh, that is obvious, my friend.” Dean laughed and patted Inias on the shoulder.

In that moment the elevator doors opened and Cas strode out, his trench coat billowing with the authoritative way he was walking towards them. "Dean, Inias. I'm done with my search." He shook his head when he reached him. "It's not a ghost. I suspect it's a Wewe Gombel. I've talked to the Doctor here and asked a few questions, and he noticed that a potted palm tree was left in the rooms of the missing children. A plant that seems to regularly vanish from his office."

Inias nodded and stepped closer to Cas. His gaze was focused on Cas’s lips. “Do you know how we can kill it?”

Cas gave him a soft smile and touched his arm. "I don't think that is necessary. The Wewe Gombel takes children, but they wouldn't harm them. They usually pull them away from danger, or parents that neglect them. We need to draw her out, and maybe talking to her will solve the situation."

_ Fuck it, _ Dean could see now that his fears about Inias had been correct. He was using Dean’s advice on Cas  _ and _ Cas was responding positively to it. 

“Nice work, Sherlock.” Dean also moved closer to Cas, and gazed into his eyes. He didn’t like Cas smiling at Inias like that, or staring at him in that way. This was  _ their _ thing… him and Cas, and, _ yeah…  _ it was time to admit to himself that he had feelings for his best friend. 

He realized that if he was going to have any chance with Cas, he needed to put some moves on him too. “Sounds like a straightforward case.”

"I think we must search for the palm tree. It must be somewhere in the hospital. It's where she will nest," Cas explained, giving him a proud smile.

Inias patted Cas’s shoulder. “You always were good at seeing the truth.”

"Actually, I called Sam, and he looked up the palm tree for me. I got suspicious when the Doctor told me that weird little detail. I was just lucky," Cas explained, looking a little embarrassed.

“You were the one who put the clues together though,” Dean said, smiling widely at him. He was going to show Cas how much he appreciated him; how important he was to him. He didn’t do that enough, but that was going to change, starting now. “Did Sammy do that? No.”

Cas beamed at him with a bright smile. "I learned a lot from you."

There was a lot more Dean wanted to teach him, but none of it had anything to do with hunting or cases. “Good. I’m rubbing off on you, huh?”

There was a faint blush on Cas's cheeks before he smiled. "I think you might be."

Dean wondered if Cas had caught the innuendo in what he’d said, but knowing Cas, he probably hadn’t. Maybe he should be more direct. “Hey, Cas, is that a new coat? It looks good on you.”

Cas looked down at himself before he looked up with a frown. “Dean, I’ve been wearing the same coat for over five years now. Since my fall.” 

Was it the same coat? Dean thought it looked different… maybe it was that he didn't always  _ see _ Cas when he looked at him. "Well, it suits you anyway," Dean said, feeling a little foolish. 

The way Cas replied with a shy smile and a soft blush though, was really worth it. "Thank you, Dean."

“I really like your neck garment,” Inias said as he stepped close to Cas and gently grabbed the guy’s tie.

Cas's expression turned into an extremely confused one. "Are you both alright?" he asked, taking a step back from both of them. “Why are you both complimenting me?”

**…. :::: :::: ….**

When Dean started complimenting Castiel in time with Inias, he had assumed the human was guiding him, showing him the correct way to compliment someone. Clearly, he had been mistaken. Inias furrowed his brow and turned to Dean. “Did I do it wrong?”

Dean looked between Inias and Castiel, with an expression of frustration. “No, you didn’t do it wrong, it’s just… I wanted to let Cas know how much I like him… his coat.”

That was bizarre. Dean had given him direction in how to approach someone romantically, and yet he was exhibiting the same verbal and nonverbal cues he had suggested. Which didn’t make sense, seeing as Castiel had informed him that Dean was only interested in women. “It is a nice coat,” Inias carefully agreed.

Castiel squinted his eyes at them. "I think we should start looking for the potted plant."

“That’s a great idea, Cas,” Dean said, patting Castiel on the back.

"Inias, why don't we both check the bottom floors, Dean will look on the top? If we find the plant, we should take it to the roof. There are no witnesses there," Castiel suggested slowly.

Inias nodded, a little excited and nervous about being alone with Castiel. About trying out Dean’s suggestions to garner interest. “That seems logical.”

“Why do I have to go alone?” Dean asked, giving Inias a flash of displeasure. “We could all work together, couldn’t we?”

“To search for a harmless plant?” Castiel asked with a frown. “It’s way more efficient to split up. And I’m taking Inias with me because it has been a while since he has had time alone with humans. I’m making sure he will be okay.”

Inias hummed in agreement. “Castiel is right, it will take less time if we separate.”

Castiel nodded at Dean before he turned around, gesturing Inias to follow him. “Let’s meet up here in forty minutes. It should be enough to find the potted plant.”

Inias followed his friend as they approached the elevator. “Where should we begin?” he asked, pointedly staring at Castiel’s lips.

Castiel looked confused for a moment before he pressed the button. "Um, I think we don't need to search the morgue. Maybe the first floor and then we’ll work our way up?"

“Okay,” he said as he leaned over to try and stare into Castiel’s eyes.

Castiel's eyebrows slowly rose before he cleared his throat. "Is there something on my face?"

Inias cleared his throat and shook his head. “No.”

They both stepped into the elevator and Inias could feel Castiel's gaze on him. "Did Dean put you up to this? Staring at me and getting into my personal space?"

Inias furrowed his brow. How did Castiel know? Perhaps Dean’s suggestions  _ were _ working. He just wasn’t sure if that was a cue to kiss Castiel. He almost wished Dean was there to ask. “Am… am I doing it incorrectly?” he asked as he stepped even closer. Maybe that was what he needed to do.

Castiel rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance. "I don't know how Dean put you up to this, but you can tell him I get it. I see now how annoying it can be. I guess this is his revenge for me not respecting his personal space when Dean and I first met."

Interesting. Why would Dean make such suggestions if it was going to garner annoyance. Inias took a step back. “Does Dean… is Dean bad at romantic encounters?” 

Castiel tilted his head with a frown. "No," he replied with a suspicious tone in his voice. "Why?"

Inias hated thinking badly of Castiel’s humans, but perhaps Dean really did say those things to mess with him. “I believe I have been misled.”

Castiel sighed and touched Inias's shoulder, giving him a soft smile. "Don't worry about it, my friend. Dean also pulled a prank or two on me. Maybe he likes you."

“Why would you deceive someone you like?”

Castiel shook his head. “Humans do a lot of things that are hard to explain. Sometimes Dean calls me an idiot, but he manages to make it sound like it is a compliment.”

Inias furrowed his brow. “Is that how you pay a compliment then? Saying something insulting?”

Castiel shook his head. “You need a certain sense of tact to compliment like that. And that’s not a talent I have ever possessed.” He sighed and gave Inias a soft smile. “For example, Dean and Sam call each other jerk and bitch sometimes. But they use those words like fond terms of endearment. I once said slut to Sam and he wasn’t amused. So I’m not sure how it works. I’m certainly not the right person to ask.”

Inias nodded in understanding as they proceeded to search for this potted plant. The entire situation with Castiel was baffling. It would be so much easier if Inias could just  _ tell _ Castiel how he felt for him, but Dean had explicitly instructed he be more subtle. “I fear I’ll never understand human customs.”

Castiel gave him a quick look and another soft smile. “Is there a reason why you want to learn them?”

Inias shrugged. “I, uh… I don’t intend on returning to Heaven.”

Castiel looked surprised at that. “Oh, why not?”

After a beat of silence, Inias held Castiel’s gaze and pointedly said, “There’s nothing for me there.”

Searching eyes met him as Castiel stepped closer, his expression serious. "If you want... you could stay. I'm sure Dean, Sam, and Eileen wouldn't mind."

Inias flashed him a smile. “That’s very kind.”

"I missed having another angel around," Castiel explained with another soft smile.

“I missed you,” he blurted. Inias cleared his throat and tried to look nonchalant, almost certain his response was the exact opposite of what Dean would have wanted.

Castiel's smile turned wider and he grabbed Inias's shoulder. "I've missed you, too."

Was this the sign? Was this the moment Dean had told him about? Should Inias move forward and kiss Castiel? Inias hoped he was right as he started moving a little closer to his friend.

“Oh!” Castiel suddenly exclaimed, drawing back to point at something behind Inias. “I found the plant.”

It was entirely illogical to feel animosity towards an inanimate object, Inias was eighty-seven percent sure of that. He sighed and nodded. “Should I text Dean?”

**…. :::: :::: ….**

They were standing on the rooftop, relieved that they were able to solve this issue without bloodshed. The Wewe Gombel had promised to bring the children back if they found the nurse that was giving the kids, “bad medicine,” making them even more ill.

As always, Dean was brilliant and found out very quickly who the nurse was. He turned over the evidence while he and Inias waited on the rooftop. When he returned, the Wewe Gombel looked satisfied. 

She kissed Dean's cheek, which left a familiar uncomfortable feeling in Cas's chest, before the kids appeared out of nowhere. They were all looking a lot better, healthier than they should be, according to their charts. 

Cas thought he should bring the palm back to the nice doctor he had met earlier. He picked it up and gave Inias another soft smile. He was so happy to see him again. Cas had missed him incredibly. "Thank you for bringing this case to our attention."

Inias clapped a hand on his shoulder, grip somehow firm yet gentle, much like his friend’s personality. “I understand why you joined a new rank. This micro, individualized assistance to humans, it’s somehow more meaningful than the work we performed in Heaven.”

Cas couldn't help but smile at Inias. It was nice to hear another angel say that. "I believe that, too. I think we should ask Dean if he is okay with you living with us on a permanent basis." 

At that his friend visibly swallowed. “What if… what if he says no?”

“Why would he say no? I’m sure he likes you, and you’re my friend.” Cas looked over at Dean, who was talking to the kids. “We should bring those children back. And then we can talk about all of this. But I wouldn’t worry.”

Inias nodded again. “I trust your judgement about these things.”

Cas sighed and pushed a loose hair strand behind Inias's ear. "Okay. Then let’s go."

He turned around to help Dean, herding the kids together and showing them the way down the stairs. They met Dr. Alex Corvin in the hallway, who was clearly shocked to see all of the kids.

Dean stepped forward and gestured towards the kids. “We found your missing children on the roof, Doctor. They’re fine… better than fine, actually.”

The physician’s attention was immediately on the children. He dropped to a knee, stethoscope quickly pulled from around his neck as he waved some of the nurses over. Quickly each child was escorted to an empty room for their medical evaluations, Dr. Corvin communicating with his staff in direct and clear to understand orders. It was refreshing.

After the commotion had died down, he approached the three of them, hand outstretched. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.”

Cas took his hand and smiled at him before he handed him the plant. “You should keep the plant close by. It’s the reason we could solve the case. I’m sure it will bring you luck.”

Dr. Corvin gave him a grateful nod and smile. “You sure  _ you _ didn’t bring the luck?”

The man had a really nice smile. "We were just doing our jobs, Dr. Corvin."

As Dr. Corvin situated the plant under his arm, he nodded again. “Well, there’s going to be a lot of grateful people because you were just doing your jobs, so thank you.”

"You're very welcome," Cas replied with a soft smile. It was a nice feeling to have accomplished something good. 

The doctor disappeared to speak with his staff, still holding the plant. Inias stepped forward. “What will happen to the nurse?”

"Dean talked to the police. She will go to prison," Cas replied quietly before his gaze fell on Dean, who was standing to the side on the phone. He liked watching the hunter work, the serious expression on his face was a nice look. Although Cas prefered it when Dean smiled. Sadly he didn't do that very often.

“That’s good. That way she can’t harm anymore children,” Inias said as he clapped Cas on the shoulder.

Cas turned to his friend and nodded. "It's nice to know that they aren't just bad creatures in the world. The Wewe Gombel did a great job of being the children's guardian." He felt a stab of melancholy then. "I miss this. The way it was in the past, remember? Back when we still answered the prayers of people. When we still had people to guard."

Inias gave him a sweet smile. “It’s why I understand now. Why you fell to align yourself with these humans in particular.”

"That was certainly one reason, yes." Cas didn't feel like sharing the others. "I'm glad you are joining our family."

“As am I.” Inias appeared as though he was going to say more when one of the children they had rescued appeared next to them, tugging on Cas’s trench coat. 

He was a small child, maybe six, and his big brown eyes were quite expressive. He waved for them to come closer, holding his finger to his lips in clear secrecy. He then whispered, “Is the plant lady okay?”

Cas kneeled down to the child's height and nodded, replying in a whisper, "Yes, she will still guard the hospital to protect children. But we found the person hurting you and she won't be coming back."

That was met with a buck toothed grin as he wrapped his arms around Cas and hugged him. “Thank you.”

Cas returned the hug with a smile. He used his grace to check up on the kid and noticed the resident healing magic of the palm creature. She had done a good job of nursing those children back to health. "Seeing you all well is the best thank you for us," he murmured before he let go of the child. 

Inias offered his hand to help Cas up, which was a nice, and pretty human gesture of his friend. He couldn’t help but grin at him. It was cute that he was trying so hard to pick up human behavior. It reminded Cas so much of himself when he started hanging out with the Winchesters.

Inias’s hand lingered on his for several moments as he watched the child scamper off.

Cas tilted his head to look at his friend, wondering what he had on his mind when Dean walked up to them.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as he peered at their joined hands. He frowned, and stared at Inias, then Cas. “We gonna get out of here?” 

"Yes," Cas replied in confusion, letting go of Inias's hand. "There is something we need to talk about, Dean. Inias expressed the wish to stay with us in the bunker, permanently. We wanted to check if that is okay with you and your brother."

Dean wore a conflicted expression as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Yeah, um… we should ask Sammy.”

Cas was surprised by Dean's reaction. He had expected him to agree. "Alright. Although I doubt he would have a problem with that. At times there were over thirty people in the bunker."

“There were.” Dean sighed. “We never can say no to people… angels in need.”

Cas smiled at Dean before he pulled him into a hug. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas, and Cas swore Dean was smelling his hair. How strange; he’d never done that before. He murmured something that sounded like, “I’d do anything for you.”

It surely wasn’t that, though. Dean didn’t say things like that.

When Cas let go of him, he still gave Dean a shy smile. The hug was nice. He had expected a very short one where Dean would just pat his shoulder. 

Their moment of looking at each other was interrupted by Dr. Corvin walking up to them.

“Um, Agent Beyoncé, can I have a minute of your time?” Dr. Corvin asked as he started rummaging through the pockets of his lab coat.

"Of course." Cas gave the others a surprised look before he nodded and guided Dr. Corvin to a corner with him. "Was there something else you need?"

The man had an almost shy smile on his face. “I… I never do this, and I know it’s wildly unprofessional, but…” He pulled out a card and a pen, pulling the cap off with his teeth as he started writing something. Dr. Corvin handed Cas the card and pulled the cap from his teeth. “I was wondering if you had plans tonight?”

Cas tilted his head and stared at the card before he looked up at the man. "No, I don't have any plans. Are you... are you asking me out?" Cas had learned by now to quickly clarify things before making an assumption.

“Uh,” he laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. The man nodded and said, “Yeah, I am.”

Cas couldn't help but smile. It was nice to have someone be so direct with him. He was so bad at social cues that he never got them. If his past "dating" experience had taught him anything, it was that he preferred, and needed people to be straightforward with him. "Yes, I would like to go out with you."

That was met with a relieved laugh. “Great. I’m thinking 7:45? I could pick you up?”

Cas nodded quickly. “Yes, I’m staying at the Moonlight Motel.” 

“I’ll meet you in the lobby?” he asked as he straightened his coat.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it,” Cas replied before he smiled. “I’ll see you then.”

He nodded at the Doctor before he returned to his friends with a gleeful smile. “I have a date.”

Inias tilted his head. “A date?”

Cas gave them a proud smile. “Yes, Dr. Corvin asked me out.”

“He… what?” Dean turned to look at Dr. Corvin as he disappeared down the corridor. “You can’t… you don’t even know the guy.”

Cas raised his eyebrow. "Isn't that what a date is for? So I can get to know him?" Cas was very surprised by Dean's reaction. He had thought he would be proud of him. He often tried to make him flirt with waitresses on the road. 

“Well, yeah, but…” Dean trailed off, and he looked like he was trying and failing to find an answer. In the end, he huffed in frustration, and set off towards the exit. Evidently he had nothing further to say on the subject.

Cas looked over to Inias in confusion about Dean’s behavior, but his friend was also deep in thought. He really wondered what was going on.

**…. :::: :::: ….**

It had been almost an hour since Castiel departed for his date with the handsome doctor. Inias was not fond of the bizarre ache that thought placed on his vessel’s chest cavity. It also didn’t help that Dean was having difficulty remaining still. He had the curtains pushed open, shifting from pacing around the room, to sitting by the window while drumming the butt of his knife on the table, to moving to the bed to watch television for three minutes before finding a new position.

Inias was exhausted just watching him. “Are you in need of assistance?”

“Nope.” Dean put emphasis on the ‘p’, and it made a popping sound. “I just don’t like the thought of Cas being alone with some guy we don’t know.”

Inias furrowed his brow. While he wasn’t fond of the idea for purely selfish reasons, Castiel was more than capable of taking care of himself. And it wasn’t as though the physician was a bad human. He had a good soul. “Why don’t you like it?”

“‘Cause… because he might try something. And Cas doesn’t always pick up on cues, and, if he wants to go on a date so badly, why can’t it be with someone he already knows?”

“Are you concerned that Castiel will be harmed? Because I can assure you…”

“Harmed?” Dean interrupted, practically shouting the word. “If anyone harms Cas I’ll fucking tear them a new one.”

Inias’s eyebrows shot up, that was an extreme response. “Should we be concerned? Should we warn Castiel?” He tried to recall where he had placed his cellular device.

Dean stared at him for a minute, then shook his head slowly. It looked like he was trying to calm himself down. “No, I’m sure he’s gonna be fine. And he should be back soon, anyway. Shouldn’t he? I mean, they’ve been gone long enough already, haven't they?”

“Is the average human date less than one hour?”

“Less than an hour? It’s been longer than that, hasn’t it?” Dean looked at his watch then, and tapped at it before laughing. “Shit, it hasn’t. You, um… wanna watch some TV?”

Inias turned to face him, unable to hide his bemused expression. “Your behavior is strange. Is it due to your attempt at… ‘getting me’ earlier?”

“Getting you? I don’t…” Dean gave him a look of confusion.

“Earlier, when I asked for your advice on the pursuit of a romantic relationship, I did everything you suggested, and all I seemed to do was make Castiel annoyed with me. And you stated I shouldn’t just inform him outright, but that appeared to be what made Dr. Corvin’s approach successful.” Inias hummed thoughtfully. “Was your advice a ‘prank’? I believe that was what Castiel called it.”

“Well, I didn’t know it was Cas you were ‘pursuing’, did I? You never said. I might’ve told you to back off if you did.”

Inias narrowed his eyes at the human. While he wasn’t all that great at social cues and nonverbal communication, he was more than certain he knew why Dean was behaving in such a manner. “I think I understand. You have affection for Castiel.”

Dean chuckled. “He might be a weird, dorky angel who doesn’t understand my references, but he’s my best friend. And yeah… I do.”

At that he let out a soft sigh and sank back against the headrest of the second bed. He almost wished he had agreed to a separate room, seeing as this was the direction sharing one had gone. “Hmm. So how do we proceed? Do we fight to the death for him? Because I may have an unfair advantage.”

“Maybe I’ll remind him of all the good times we’ve had together. Like watching cowboy movies, or purgatory. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll totally fight you to the death. I always said I’ll go out fighting… just didn’t think it would be over Cas.”

Inias furrowed his brow. As he began withdrawing his angel blade, headlights flashed across the window, accompanied by the sound of a vehicle pulling up.

A moment later Cas was opening the door. He looked up at them, wanting to say something as his gaze fell on Inias's blade. "What is going on?" he asked slowly in a very deep voice.

“We’re going to fight to the death over you if Dean’s proclamation is ill received,” Inias said simply.

Cas just stared at them before he finally squinted his eyes. "What?"

Dean put his arm out, and blocked Inias from going forward. “He’s joking… it was a joke, wasn’t it? But I wanted to talk to you, Cas… alone.” Then turning to Inias, he asked, “Could you give us a minute?”

Inias shook his head. He was growing weary of human customs. Angels preferred directness for many reasons, primarily for how efficient it was. He turned to Castiel. “Both Dean and myself are interested in you romantically, so we would like to know who you choose.”

Cas's eyes widened and for a moment Inias thought he wouldn't answer. But then his brow furrowed. "And that's why you wanted to kill each other?" he practically growled. He gave Inias a stern look. "Dean is _ human.  _ And we're not in ancient times anymore when we showed our strength to impress a potential mate." His gaze wandered to Dean then. "And you! You should know better than to encourage something like that. Did you two even think this through? How do you think I would react if I had found out you..." He glared at Inias again then. "Or  _ you _ would have tried to kill each other."

Inias momentarily ducked Cas’s ired gaze, feeling a wash of remorse for his own behavior. “I… apologize, Castiel.”

Cas's eyes softened a little before he stared expectantly at Dean.

Dean shrugged. “I was kinda looking forward to Nacho Libre-ing his ass, but… yeah. Sorry.” He dropped his gaze to the floor when Cas’s gaze turned into an annoyed glare.

Cas crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, my date didn't go that well. A huge part of the reason is because my heart is already taken." He looked up at them. "By you. By _ both _ of you."

Inias shook his head in bemusement. “What?”

“H… how does that work?” Dean asked, hesitantly.

Cas smiled and walked over to both of them, taking Inias's hand in his left and Dean's on his right, before pulling them both towards the bed. "I can show you."

**THE END?**

**Author's Note:**

> Frankie here: Yeah, yeah. We know. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. ;)


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